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Indonesian theologian sez pesantren can counter negative image of Islam
Dr. Hosham Dawod, an Islamic theologian of Iraqi descent, was on a tour to five Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, in East Java recently with the aim of repairing the negative image toward Islam.The theologian's visit to the Tebuireng Islamic boarding school in Jombang on Tuesday attracted the attention of students. Those, who were engrossed in reciting the Koran at the school's mosque, stopped to closely watch him leisurely walking toward the custodian's residence, KH Yusuf Hasyim, the youngest son of KH Hasyim Asy'ari, founder of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization. "I'm here to discuss with scholars about many things, including Islamic teachings, which originated from the Middle East," said Dawod, who was accompanied by Emanuel Subangun from the Ganesha Foundation in Jakarta and Hery Haryanto, executive board chairman of the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement (PMII). The other four Islamic boarding schools visited by Dawod, who resides in Paris, were Ngalah in Pasuruan, Darul Ulum and Manbaul Ma'arif in Jombang and Lirboyo in Kediri. Dawod's visit is connected to the currently declining image of Muslims around the world, since terrorists, who claimed they were acting on behalf of Islam, hijacked planes and crashed them into buildings in New York City and Washington, DC on Sept. 11, 2001. Since that tragic day, Islam, which means "religion of salvation", cannot be separated from terrorism, especially when Osama bin Laden, leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist network who was allegedly responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks, has repeatedly carried out terror acts in the name of Islam. A number of bomb attacks that claimed the lives of hundreds in Indonesia have been perpetrated by similar means: Bali in 2002 and 2005, and the Hotel JW Marriott and the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. The attacks were purportedly perpetrated by the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) network, one of al-Qaeda's offshoots in Southeast Asia. Dr. Azahari -- killed during a raid in East Java three months ago -- and Noordin Top are said to be the masterminds behind these terror acts. The negative image of Islam, according to Dawod, is due to the attitude of Muslims themselves. In Europe, for instance, the image that has already been smeared by various incidents has been exacerbated, especially when Muslims demand a revision in the legal systems. "Of late, Muslims in European countries have called for a change in the judicial system, which they maintain should be more accommodating to Muslims' interests," Dawod, a theological researcher at the Centre Nationale Research Scientifique (CNRS), told The Jakarta Post. That is clearly not a wise move, especially as the judicial system in Europe has been enacted without accommodating interests of Islam since the beginning, when Islam had yet to exist on the European continent. Only years after the legal system was established, did Muslim migrant workers arrive in Europe. Dawod disclosed that in general, dialogs between Muslims and European governments were needed to enhance better understanding among both parties. Muslims, he explained, need to decide whether they want to understand and be aware that the legal system existed before the presence of Islam in Europe, or choose to return to their homeland or migrate to countries that are more accepting of Islam. On the other hand "European countries should be aware that they need to refurbish their legal system because there are a large number of Muslims whose rights should be considered," he asserted. The education systems used at pesantren in Indonesia, according to Dawod, can be used as a model to enhance understanding between Islam and non-Muslims. "I was amazed to find non-Muslim students and a number of foreign uztad (Islamic teachers), at the Pondok Ngalah pesantren in Pasuruan," said Dawod. Of the 8,000 students studying at the pesantren, 25 of them are non-Muslims and three of the teachers are Australians. "Its open attitude toward other faiths is a beneficial step to creating better understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims," said Dawod. Custodian of the Ngalah pesantren, KH Sholeh Bahruddin, disclosed the school's decision to accept non-Muslim students and the opportunity given to Australian teachers to teach there was an attempt to bolster religious tolerance. "Many non-Muslims visit our school to have dialogs on many issues. They are our friends too," said Sholeh. According to Sholeh, Muslims throughout the world believe that humans originated from one creation, Adam and Eve. "So, we're all brothers and sisters, and there's no reason for us to become enemies," he said. Caretaker of the Darul Ulum pesantren in Jombang, M. Zahrul Ashar Asumta, was of the opinion that visits by foreigners to Indonesia to see the education system in Islamic boarding schools first hand was an important step for the development of Islam, because the pesantren teaches many things in life based on religion, and far from the fearful image perceived by the West so far. "The perception of Islam should be straightened out," Zahrul, who is also the son of Darul Ulum's founder, KH As'ad Amar. Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-02-18 |
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